For anyone still following this, I wound up finding and using Tri-State Dent Removal out of Rutherford. They are a mobile service and came to me, completed the job on-street in just about 45 minutes, and the car looks great for significantly less than traditional body work. Very friendly service, too.

I have scuffs on my rear bumper - what I meant was that this was the first dent/ding I've gotten in the 15 years of parking downtown. And that wasn't even gotten while parked on the street, but rather in a parking lot!

bodhipooh wrote:Often times, the damage is not even from the bumper to bumper contact, but rather from people with exposed screws on their plate mounts, or from aftermarket additions, hitch inserts and other things that protrude from the bumpers themselves

Yup, one of the worst parking damages I ever got was backing into a spot in the Caravan, and I couldn't see the raised plow bracket on the front of the pickup behind, it was below window level. Put a nice dent in the hatch, 2 inches higher and it would have taken out the back window. I think it's my destiny, the next Caravan was stopped at the light on Manila at 6th when a high asshole on a bike plows into the back leaving a big dent. For once it was easy to get a cop with the precinct a block away!

brewster wrote:Painted bumpers are one of the stupidest idea ever, designed for suburbia where people never ever parallel park. I recall when rubber bumpers 1st came in they were black. Complaining about braille parking in a city with a super tight street supply is just stupid also. There will always be someone trying to squeeze into that tiny spot. Get over it.

Mostly agreed, and I was even going to mention that you have always advocated that bumpers were meant for exactly that and that painted bumpers are silly. Still, it *is* possible to parallel park in a decent way without bumping your way into place. Often times, the damage is not even from the bumper to bumper contact, but rather from people with exposed screws on their plate mounts, or from aftermarket additions, hitch inserts and other things that protrude from the bumpers themselves

Painted bumpers are one of the stupidest idea ever, designed for suburbia where people never ever parallel park. I recall when rubber bumpers 1st came in they were black. Complaining about braille parking in a city with a super tight street supply is just stupid also. There will always be someone trying to squeeze into that tiny spot. Get over it.

GrovePath wrote:Maybe so, but if you live in the city and park on the street - your car will get trashed.

Thanks GrovePath! I've parked on the streets since 2002, and this is the first dent, so I consider myself lucky.

Really - our cars get dinged up all the time - what am I doing wrong? ...and the same was true for me in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Chicago & Philadelphia.

Not to be snarky, but maybe you ARE doing something wrong. I have been parking on the street for almost five years now, and the only dents I have are minor nicks to the rear bumper (from the asswipes who can't parallel park without bumping into the cars in front and back) and one of my motorcycles had its shifting lever bent a little from an asshat trying to park next to it. Nothing else.

OK, trashed might be a bit of a stretch - but yes, I get lots of monthly bumper dings dents and deep black marks into my plastic bumpers - with an occasional bigger dent. Which by the way, my suburban relatives will never understand - their new cars are a big part of their self identities.

I totally understand... I hate to see the scratches, and it annoys me that people parallel park using bumps as their guide as to when they have gone far enough, but I have learned to accept this is part of city living. Every now and then I consider sending the car to get repainted around the bumper area, but then I come to my senses and realize it is a waste of time. :/

GrovePath wrote:Maybe so, but if you live in the city and park on the street - your car will get trashed.

Thanks GrovePath! I've parked on the streets since 2002, and this is the first dent, so I consider myself lucky.

Really - our cars get dinged up all the time - what am I doing wrong? ...and the same was true for me in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Chicago & Philadelphia.

Not to be snarky, but maybe you ARE doing something wrong. I have been parking on the street for almost five years now, and the only dents I have are minor nicks to the rear bumper (from the asswipes who can't parallel park without bumping into the cars in front and back) and one of my motorcycles had its shifting lever bent a little from an asshat trying to park next to it. Nothing else.

OK, trashed might be a bit of a stretch - but yes, I get lots of monthly bumper dings dents and deep black marks into my plastic bumpers - with an occasional bigger dent. Which by the way, my suburban relatives will never understand - their new cars are a big part of their self identities.

GrovePath wrote:Maybe so, but if you live in the city and park on the street - your car will get trashed.

Thanks GrovePath! I've parked on the streets since 2002, and this is the first dent, so I consider myself lucky.

Really - our cars get dinged up all the time - what am I doing wrong? ...and the same was true for me in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Chicago & Philadelphia.

Not to be snarky, but maybe you ARE doing something wrong. I have been parking on the street for almost five years now, and the only dents I have are minor nicks to the rear bumper (from the asswipes who can't parallel park without bumping into the cars in front and back) and one of my motorcycles had its shifting lever bent a little from an asshat trying to park next to it. Nothing else.